SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — NHL STREET made its debut in Puerto Rico on Saturday, closing out the three-day Fiesta de Hockey with the program’s first tournament in the Caribbean and Latin America. More than 75 children and adults took part in games and instruction under the direction of the Puerto Rico Ice Hockey Association (PRIHA).
Exciting Developments in Puerto Rican Hockey
Organizers converted a cement surface at Parque Dr. José Celso Barbosa, originally built for bicycle polo, into two NHL STREET rinks. Youth sessions ran first, followed by games for adults under intense summer heat.
For some attendees, the event fulfilled a long-held wish to try hockey. One 36-year-old participant who took part in every session later enrolled in PRIHA’s new inline hockey league, which began earlier this year after the association opened a dek/inline facility in San Juan. He said Puerto Rico’s climate suits multiple forms of the sport and that building participation is the next step.
PRIHA president Scott Vargas called the tournament a fitting finale to the Fiesta de Hockey and part of a longer-term plan to develop homegrown hockey on the island. The association hopes to secure an ice facility in the future, a move it believes would pave the way for Puerto Rico to compete in International Ice Hockey Federation events and, eventually, the Winter Olympics. Puerto Rico has been an IIHF associate member since Sept. 29, 2022. Vargas said the week boosted local interest and registrations for inline hockey and outlined goals to expand the sport in schools and across street, floor, and dek formats.
NHL STREET is the NHL’s official youth street hockey league for ages 6 to 16, built around an affordable, neighborhood-based model. In partnership with RCX Sports, the program features more than 100 active leagues across 28 U.S. states and eight Canadian provinces. The San Juan event, like other NHL STREET initiatives, is supported by the NHL and NHL Players’ Association through the Industry Growth Fund, established in 2013 to advance projects that build long-term fandom and increase participation. League executives say the effort focuses on bringing hockey to communities and making the sport more accessible.
The positive reception of NHL STREET in Puerto Rico marks a significant step in promoting hockey in a region where it has traditionally been underrepresented. This event not only showcased the enthusiasm for the sport but also demonstrated the potential for growth and development in the local hockey community.